NYC comedy club cancels show after anti-Israel backlash over event meant to heal division in wake of Oct. 7 terror attacks
A New York comedy show on Monday aimed at bringing together communities from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — which has wreaked havoc on American university campuses in particular over the past 14 months — was canceled amid anti-Israel backlash from comedians and activists.The event, dubbed “Debate, Don’t Hate,” at Stand Up NY in Manhattan was designed to use the power of comedy to foster an open dialogue about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip — but organizers were forced to cancel the show after pro-Palestinian comedians withdrew from the roster.“Thanks for reaching out, but I cannot share the stage with zionazzzis while my people and Arabs in the region are being decimated and genocided so Israelis can have beach houses in more land that’s not theirs,” Palestinian comedian Eman El-Husseini wrote to the organizers, using an apparent portmanteau for “Zionists” and “nazis.”“Thanks tho! Free Palestine!” El-Husseini added.At least 21 other comedians were asked to step up and fill the vacancies from the pro-Palestinian side, but refused to do so.Libyan comedian Mohanad Elshieky in a post to Instagram also criticized the initiative, claiming the now-canceled show was a “little debate about why m*rdering children is wrong.”“You can’t deny geno*ide and then come here and pretend to be the side interests [sic] in dialogue and be surprised when people refuse the invitation,” he said.Activists also lashed out at the organizers, claiming that they were trying to “both-sides” genocide.“Some comedy club in NYC is apparently putting on a ‘both sides’ night about Israel’s annihilation of Gaza … inviting me to help ‘build a more inclusive community,’ and like, sir,” Helen Rosner, a food correspondent for The New Yorker and pro-Palestinian activist, posted to Bluesky last week.Organizer Robin Lemberg told The Post the intention was “not to debate genocide,” but to have humor ill...